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2 ShetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

UHL. BOAT LOWE RING APPARATUS.

No. 854,869. Patented Dec. 21, 1886.

IV NTOR: n

WITNESSES: (74 323%.

N, PETERS, Phowuma mphar, Wimin mn, D C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. MUHL. BOAT LOWBRING APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 21, 1886.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

ERNST MllHL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOAT-LOWERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION icrming'part of Letters Patent No; 354,869, dated December 21, 1886.

Applicalion filed June 22, 1886. Serial No. 205,879. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNST M'E'IHL, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, (having resided one year last past inthe United States, and made oath of intention to become acitizen thereof,) a

, resident of the city and county of Philadelphia,

paratus having means for taking up the slack State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boat-Lowering Apparatus, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a top or plan view of boat-lowering apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a partial side elevation and partial vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 represents a section of a coupling device employed; Fig. 4 represents asection in line as m, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a section of a portion in line 1 y, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of a detached part. Fig. 7 represents a section of a portion in line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists of a boat-lowering apof the ropes at its bow and stern as it rises and falls while in the water.

It also consists of a brake mechanism for controlling the ropes.

It also consists of means for adapting the apparatus for opposite sides of the ship.

It further consists of the combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a divided shaft having its bearings B on the deck of a ship.

0 represents pulleys which are mounted loosely on each section of the shaft A, and -D represents coiled springs, each of which encircles one of said shafts, and having one end connected with the deck and the other end with the shaft, it being noticed that there are two pulleys and one spring at each section of the shaft A, and that ropes E are wound around said pulleys in such manner that the apparatus is adapted for lowering boats on opposite sides of the ship, two ropes for each side passing around blocks F, which depend from the davits G.

At the lower end of the ropes are rings H,

which receive the sliding'bolts J, the latter entering keepers K, which are firmly secured to the boat, so that when the rings'H are located within the keepers and the bolts forced into the rings H the boat may be hung from the davits. When the ropes unwind, the boat lowers into the Water, and when the bolts are withdrawn the boat is disconnected from the ropes and davits. The bolts are held in place by springs suitably applied.

To the end of the bolts is attached a rope, L, which is passed along the side of the boat around suitable pulleys and connected at or near the center of the boat with an upright shaft, M, which is mounted thereon and provided with a crank-handle, N, whereby when said shaft is rotated the two lengths of the rope are wound thereon in opposite directions,

so that. both bolts are withdrawn from the rings H, and thus the bow and stern of the boat are simultaneously released or disconnected from the ropes.

On the shaft A are brake-pulleys P, and en circling the same are friction-straps Q, one end of each of which is secured to the deck of the ship and the other end connected with a rope, S, the two ropes being passed around pulleys T on the ship and pulleys T on the davits and run through tubular guides U and around rods V on the boat to be lowered, whereby the brakes may be readily controlled on the boat and either brake operated independently of the other-a feature of importance when the bow and stern ropes unwind irregularly from the pulleys, or there are other causes requiring the brakes to be applied at different times. It will be seen that when the boat receives its passengers or load it lowers and the springs wind and prevent rapid descent of the boat. When the water is reached, the boat rises and falls, as is well known. In this case the slack of the rope at the rising end of the boat .is taken up and the rope rewound on the respective pulley, this being due to the relative spring D. When said end of the boat lowers,

the ropeis again unwound. By this provision the rope is prevented from fouling in the boat, and, while the boat may swing freely laterally on the ropes, the play of the ropes is limited, as the slack of the same is taken up and held by the springs, as has been stated, and thus the boat is also prevented from being dashed iOO . for the opposite side of the ship, I employ a coupling device, (shown in Fig. 3,) the same consisting of sliding keys W, which extend longitudinally along the shaft A and enter one of the pulleys. A catch, W, is fitted to the end of the pulley and engages with the key W, and thus when the shaft is rotated thepulley is carried along with the same and the ropes accordingly wound on said pulley by the action of the spring, and the slack taken up, as in the previous case. When the key is with drawn,it is held by a spring, W which is secured to the shaft and drops into a notch, W, on the key.

The crank-handle X, employed for rotating the shaft, has a pawl, Y, pivoted to its boss or eye, the same engaging with a ratchet, Z, fixed to the shaft A, whereby the crank and shaft are interlocked, and the crank may be rotated in reverse order, so that the pawl rides freely over the ratchet and may take fresh hold thereon. Should the shaft require to be released of the pa'wls without necessarily removing the crank-handles, the heel ends of said pawls are pressed inwardly, whereby the noses or points of the pawls clear the ratchets and the shaft is free to rotate. The crank-handles are also employed for controlling the winding of the ropes when the boat is detached.

The boat-detaching mechanism described in this specification is well known to be old, and is not claimed herein; but the same is shown both in Fig. 1 and on an enlarged scale in Fig. 6, so that the complete mechanism as used in connection with my invention may be fully understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a boat-lowering apparatus, the sectional shaft A, with pulleys O mounted thereon,

and having spring D, the ropes E, secured to said pulleys O and passing around blocks F,

and the davits G, combined and operated snbstantially as described.

2. In a boat-lowering apparatus, the rotary shaft A, having pulleys P mounted thereon, the frictional straps Q, having one end secured to the deck and the other end connected to ropesS,pulleys T, secured to the deck, pulleys T, secured to the davits G, the tubes U, and rods V, secured to the boat, said parts being 1 combined and operated substantially as described.

3. In a boat-lowering apparatus, the rotary shaft-A, in combination with pulley C,mounted thereon, the sliding keys W, extending longitudinally along said shaft, and the catch W, fitted'to the end of the pulley and" adapted to engage the key W, all substantially as described.

4. In a. boat-lowering apparatus, the sectional shaft A, having bearings B, the pulleys O,mounted loosely on each section of the said shaft and provided with catches W, and the sliding keys W, adapted to engage said catch W, all combined and arranged whereby the apparatus is adapted for opposite sides of the ship, substantially as described.

ERNST .MnHL.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, A. 1?. GRANT. 

